A veteran is a person who has significant experience and expertise in an occupation or field.
The United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a United States governmental initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease. Launched by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, as of May 2020, PEPFAR has provided about $90 billion in cumulative funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research since its inception, making it the largest global health program focused on a single disease in history until the COVID-19 pandemic. PEPFAR is implemented by a combination of U.S. government agencies in over 50 countries and overseen by the Global AIDS Coordinator at the United States Department of State. As of 2023, PEPFAR has saved over 25 million lives, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors. The stated goals of the project are to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for youth, as well as to offer guidance and resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all youth, at home, schools and colleges.
Red Cross and similar corps of social work organizations shaped military social work. Role of military social workers were important during the World Wars. Over one million soldiers were admitted to American Army hospitals for neuro-psychiatric problems in each wars. Commissioned status for social workers were achieved in 1945 but full status were given in the 1950s.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) veterans organization founded by Paul Rieckhoff, an American writer, social entrepreneur, advocate, activist and veteran of the United States Army and the Iraq War. He served as an Army First Lieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in Iraq from 2003 through 2004. Rieckhoff was released from the Army National Guard in 2007.
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF) is a global non-profit organization created by Congress in 1983.
Military psychiatry covers special aspects of psychiatry and mental disorders within the military context. The aim of military psychiatry is to keep as many serving personnel as possible fit for duty and to treat those disabled by psychiatric conditions. Military psychiatry encompasses counseling individuals and families on a variety of life issues, often from the standpoint of life strategy counseling, as well as counseling for mental health issues, substance abuse prevention and substance abuse treatment; and where called for, medical treatment for biologically based mental illness, among other elements.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a suicide prevention network of over two hundred crisis centers in the United States that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the telephone number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The call is routed to the nearest crisis center to receive immediate counseling and local mental health referrals. The Lifeline supports people who call for their own crisis or for someone they care about.
The Military Health System (MHS) is a form of nationalized health care operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.
Operation Homefront is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and Arlington, Virginia. Its stated mission is to "build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect." The current CEO and President is John I. Pray, Jr., Brig Gen, USAF (Ret).
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an American charity and veterans service organization that operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3). WWP offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001. Military family members and caregivers are also eligible for WWP programs.
The National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) is one of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), a part of the Military Health System (MHS). T2 was originally established to lead the integration of behavioural sciences with technology to provide solutions for psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI). T2 is a principal coordinator of United States Department of Defense (DoD) initiatives involving telehealth, online health tools, suicide surveillance and prevention, and information technology.
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention is an American suicide prevention organization coordinating national efforts to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). It is a public/private partnership that, according to them, "catalyzes planning, implementation, and accountability for updating and advancing the NSSP. The Action Alliance works on the 2001 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and is an outgrowth of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. The Action Alliance initially focused on three high-risk populations: LGBT youth, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and military/veterans. Part of the group's campaign will be to educate on the warning signs of suicide, promoting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as community crisis clinics across the U.S.
United States military veteran suicide is an ongoing phenomenon regarding the high rate of suicide among U.S. military veterans in comparison to the general civilian public. A focus on preventing veteran suicide began in 1958 with the opening of the first suicide prevention center in the United States. During the mid-1990s, a paradigm shift in addressing veteran suicide occurred with the development of a national strategy which included several Congressional Resolutions. More advancements were made in 2007, when the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act created a comprehensive program including outreach at each Veterans Affairs Office (VA) and the implementation of a 24-hour crisis hotline. PTSD, depression, and combat-related guilt in veterans are often related to suicide as it can be difficult for veterans to transition to civilian life.
Semper Fi Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. The organization describes its mission as "providing urgently needed resources and support for post-9/11 combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families." As of November 2019, the Semper Fi Fund has issued 209,000 grants totaling $210 million in assistance to 24,000 service members and their families.
Susan Pangelinan is a Chamorro-American member of the United States Air Force who oversaw California's response to the 2008 wildfires. She was awarded the STEM Role Model Award by the Department of Defense in 2009, and Business Insider called her one of the Most Impressive Women in the U.S. Military in 2013.
The 22 Pushup Challenge, sometimes called the 22KILL Pushup Challenge, was an activity involving pressing out twenty-two pushups to promote awareness for veteran suicide prevention along with honoring military service members and veterans.
22Kill is a suicide prevention non-profit organization that predominantly focuses on preventing United States military veterans and first responders from committing suicide. It is composed of multiple programs that were created through partnerships with other non-profit organizations such as Carry The Load. The organization uses the motto "One Tribe, One Fight", which reflects on the collective partnerships' goal to prevent veteran and first responder suicide and help veterans and first responders cope with issues that may lead to suicide. The organization's name was chosen to reflect on a 2012 statistic from the Veterans Affairs office, which stated that 22 veterans commit suicide on a daily basis. 22Kill raises awareness and empowers service member and first responder families through multiple traditional and non-traditional programs. Members of "The Tribe" wear a black honor ring on their index finger as a solemn reminder of the mission of combating suicide and empowering heroes, both past and present.
The Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation co-created by Bobby Kotick, CEO of gaming company Activision Blizzard, and General James L. Jones, Jr., a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, to help U.S., and later, U.K. military veterans find high-quality careers. The Endowment funds non-profit organizations that help former service members transition to high quality civilian careers after their military service and raises awareness of the value veterans bring to the workplace. The name of the Endowment is a reference to the video game series Call of Duty.
